Save Him
by SkyBluePimpSuit
Summary: Frisk is heartbroken after their many attempts to save Asriel. They just want to save ALL their friends..


Frisk approached the entrance to the ruins. They'd been here so many times before. After defeating Asriel and breaking the barrier, Toriel always suggests he takes a walk around the Underground. They don't always go see every single monster. They did, once, but it takes way too much time when talking to them isn't what they're after at this point.

He started passing through all of the puzzles with ease, giving a friendly enough wave if they passed anyone that looked their way. They were going to the very beginning, where Asriel would be waiting for them. Every time they came back through here at the end of each run, they got a huge rush of nostalgia. A comfort, because it was about the only thing that wasn't stale to them anymore. Going through the dark doors and coming out on the other side of the chamber where they met Flowey, Frisk's goal comes into sight. They approach the furry figure standing among the golden flowers.

Asriel turns towards them with a bit of a surprised look, but his expression soon became quite melancholy. "Don't worry about me. Someone has to take care of these flowers." He starts, just like he always does.

"No, you don't." Frisk starts gently, trying to reach out to Asriel. Their hand didn't quite reach as their heart started to break all over again.

They kept talking to Asriel, and some of Asriel's words reflected those feelings. They patiently listened through Asriel's confessions about himself and his adoptive sibling, Chara. They were trying not to cry, they always tried not to cry, but it was really hard. When it was over though, they couldn't help it.

Asriel just kind of looked at them sadly. "Oh Frisk…"

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

"NO, I DON'T!" Frisk sobbed louder than ever before. Even at injuries sustained from monster attacks. Even louder than when their friends-their family- were in danger. Tears bubbled up in the corners of their eyes and flowed freely down their contorted face.

Asriel looked taken aback and held his paws up. "Frisk, you…you KNOW I can't go back with you. I'll just become that flower again when the effects of everyone's souls wear off."

Frisked sniffed, unable to get themselves under control. "Y…you-you always say that." They said, looking down at the ground. "This always happens.." They say quieter, to themselves.

Asriel's face was caught somewhere between empathetic grief, horror, and a strange new understanding of what was happening trickling into place. "What?" He asked numbly, even though vaguely, he knew.

"Evvvery time I reset after the 'HAPPY' ending, an-and I go through again, no matter what I do. … .. . . you just. .won't c-come with me . ." Frisk blubbered, shaking all over.

Asriel took a step forward with his mouth gaping open. He looked unsure of what to do, but he stared at his friend, almost looking through them. "Oh Frisk…why?"

It was then that Frisk breathed deeply between their sobs, failing to stop them completely but making them softer and further between. They sat down next to the plot of golden flowers and wrapped their arms around themselves tightly as they lean forward. "It's s-so hard." They mumbled, not even paying attention to Asriel as he came closer and took a seat next to them. "It's so hard to come back every time. A-And I can't even tell anyone because the True Reset makes everyone forget. Even Sans, I think. Even you."

The shaking was back, butt Frisk managed not to not burst into another crying fit.

Asriel's paw found its way to Frisk's shoulder and they didn't jump. They did however look over before Asriel even spoke, maybe a little too expectantly. "Frisk, why? Why would you keep doing that for me? I can't be saved- I can't.." Asriel shook his head a little in mild disbelief as Frisk stared him down. "You've heard this all before, haven't you?"

Frisk only nodded at first, then looked away as their hands fiddled with the fabric of their shirt sleeves. Their breathing was calmer now. "You were about to go into a more detailed conversation about how much trouble you'd cause for us all and how it would break Asgore and Toriel's hearts to see you become Flowey after being reunited."

When Asriel didn't answer be it shock or whatever, Frisk was a little pleased and kept talking. "I know your arguments. I know you've never changed your mind before, but….please, just come with me this time." There was a little hope in their voice, but it seemed off, flat. They'd probably said this before too.

Asriel seemed as unsure as ever and shook his head, ears flopping as he did so. "Frisk, I can't…"

"Just let me save you!" The frustrated outburst had Frisk sniffling again as their emotions spiked, and to their surprise, Asriel made a similar noise next to them. "You always say the same things. That you can't be saved. That it's a bad idea. That it would only hurt people…but you don't know that. Maybe you can be."

There was a long pause. When Frisk dared to look over, Asriel's form lurched forward and embraced them as the monster child started crying almost silently against them. Frisk reciprocated the hug immediately and Asriel's crying sparked their own again. All the two could really do for a while was sit there and hold eachother, trying their hardest to comfort one another and calm down. It was in vain for a long time, one of the longest times Frisk had cried over this goat kid.

Still not the longest.

The sniffles were subsiding and Frisk had taken to rubbing Asriel's back with one hand in a gentle, practiced way. Asriel mirrored them clumsily. Eventually they both pulled back and took a breather. Asriel opened his mouth to say something, and Frisk did too at the exact same time. It was easy thing to do when you were almost following a script.

"I'm so sorry Frisk." _"I'm so sorry Frisk."_ Asriel's head snapped up, and he stared at Frisk with a start.

"Then I would say 'Just let me save you.'" they were trying really hard not to cry again because this part choked them up too.

Asriel stared at Frisk, who then went on with saying Asriel's lines. "And then you say 'Sometimes you just can't save everyone. I don't know exactly how many times you've done this, but you should just let it go. You deserve to be happy with everyone else.'"

Frisk paused, taking in the look of shock and horror on Asriel's face for just the amount of time they were supposed to. "You care so much. I'm happy to call you my best friend." they finished for Asriel, a dull look in their eyes.

The poor kid almost cried again. "Frisk..."

Frisk shook their head, putting their hand over Asriel's paw. They looked like they were full of...resignation. How many times had they done this, after all? Even with that off-script outburst, the results were starting to look the same as so many other times.

They sighed, wiping their face off, and pulled on an easy smile that would make Sans proud. "I guess I'll see you next time, then."

That last bit of dialogue was off-script too, but they were starting to feel the futility of this again. It came and went, but sometimes Frisk just couldn't stand trying every option they could think of until Asriel just repeatedly started telling them to go home to their family. Partially _HIS_ family. The heartache was just too strong this time around.

The tears burned at their eyes again as they got up.

They needed a quick romp with Papyrus. Some good old puns. Maybe even watching Undyne bench press those 7 children above ground. They needed a break because this was just too much right now.

They gave Asriel one last look of pity before turning to leave. Their hands clenched a little. "...It's a really nice day, Asriel. You should enjoy it while you can."

To their surprise, Frisk did not hear any response from Asriel. They started off away from the hardy bed of golden flowers to go back through the Underground. The tricks and puzzles were mostly muscle memory now, so they could just cruise on autopilot until they started seeing people and needed to fulfill social obligations, as was polite to do.

They knew the Ruins weren't _that_ quiet, but to them the silence was overbearing. It pressed in on them and almost felt like a weight was holding them back and slowing their movements. It all came crashing back in a rush as Frisk slipped on a crumbling section of floor in the stupid leaf maze. They fell a distance and hit the floor with their arms outstretched to catch themselves, reeling back and spitting out dirt and non-monster dust.

 _Honestly_

When were they going to stop falling for this one trap? They fell down here almost every time, and huffed in frustration as they shoved themselves up and made sure they were okay. They almost always were after that fall, but a few times it had ended in a sprain, heavy bruising, or a busted up face complete with missing teeth. This time they were fine.

Letting out a huff, they rode the tube back to the upper floor. They frowned at having to actually focus on the task at hand, but held back any comment. Instead they sucked in a breath and held it as they slipped past the hole in the floor and stuck perfectly to the correct path. Once they made it to the other side though, they let it out. "It's always that last little strip where I have to hug the wall .." they muttered spitefully.

Some noise was heard behind them, but there was nothing to be scared of in a post-run like this. Probably just the wind or a froggit shuffling on their way out. Or that's what they thought before the pitterpattering sound got louder and was suddenly right behind them. Frisk, sharp as a tack, skillfully darted to the side and out of the way of their assailant. Their body turned sideways as they quickly backpedaled for added safety, so they could get a good look at...Asriel faceplanting into the cold purple stone floor.

It was then that their heart soared! Through! The! Ceiling!

Because! That!

Was something new!

Even as this single thought overshadowed most other things on Frisk's mind, they were skidding over to Asriel's hunched form with a smile. They did the nice thing and offered their hand, which Asriel took with a subdued grumble. It seemed Asriel hurt his snoot, as he started rubbing it after getting up and brushing himself off.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were an attacker." Frisk said easily the first thing that came to mind, considering this was unrehearsed. Though this could be important! Maybe if they didn't mess up, Asriel would finally come with them! They waited eagerly for Asriel to respond, bouncing up and down on their heels.

Asriel took a moment before speaking, letting out a mildly awkward chuckle. "Yeah...I see why you'd think that." The frozen look of fear on Frisk's face caused Asriel to laugh more genuinely. He waved his paws in front of himself in a calming gesture. "N-no, it's all right, I was just trying to make a joke."

Frisk breathed a sigh of relief, laughing at themselves a bit too. It petered out for the both of them, and surprisingly, Asriel spoke up first.

"I want to go with you." he said, sounding a lot more sure than he looked at the moment, snoot rubbing aside.

Frisk felt...full of hope for the first time in a really long time.

"Yes!" Frisk rushed forward, briefly finding the strength to pick Asriel up around the hips and lift him above their head."OH MY GOODNESS!" "Yes. Yes. Yes yes yes yes y e —AH!"

"Golly!"

"Oof!"

The two were sprawled out on the floor, both laughing a little. Frisk had also started crying, but wiped each drop up as quickly as it came with their dampened shirt sleeve. "This is great. I can't believe I did it." Frisk laid there, looking relaxed laying on the cold floor. They turned their head to look at Asriel.

"What changed your mind?" they asked, reaching over and ruffling the floof on top of Asriel's head. The goat monster gave Frisk a sympathetic look that reminded them solidly of Asriel's father.

"You...you had to have sat through that an awful lot of times to be able to remember exactly what I was going to say. And you were so sad. But even with all of that going on, I could still see your determination strong as ever. Just like Chara's on... _that day._ " Asriel shook his said, not going any further on that subject. He did however reach over and pat Frisk's arm. "You would have just kept going, wouldn't you? I couldn't let you torment yourself like that over me. Not to mention keep everyone else stuck here with me..." Asriel looked off to the side, looking like he wanted to say more.

Frisk stretched their back and pushed themselves up off the floor. "What is it?" they asked, looking at Asriel expectantly. Again, they quietly reveled in not knowing what Asriel was going to say. It was such a nice feeling, even with the heavy atmosphere around them right now.

Asriel kept his gaze purposefully away from Frisk, wringing his paws together after he sat up proper. "...I have a condition. A couple, actually."

Frisk nodded encouragingly, even with the concerned wrinkles setting in place between their eyebrows.

Asriel glanced at Frisk apologetically. "I want you to stay with me until I turn back into Flowey, and then you can take me with you." Frisk seemed less than thrilled with the idea, but nodded grimly, knowing the reasoning behind it. "I know I'm not very pleasant that way, but right now I want to avoid hurting Mom and Dad..It shouldn't even take long. I have maybe an hour left."

"My second one is you can't tell anyone I'm Asriel once I go back." A pause from Frisk, but another firm nod. "And lastly,you have to make sure I don't hurt anybody."

Asriel looked at Frisk with a level of determination they had never seen from him in this form. "I can't garauntee I won't hurt anybody, we both know that. You have to promise me no matter what, that you'll protect everyone with all your power." Asriel finished, clutching his paws into fists against his pants legs.

Frisk found themselves clutching their own hands into fists, an overwhelming feeling of determination filling them at Asriel's words. They nodded again, and felt the air change familiarly around them as they created a SAVE.

They couldn't heck up this time. This time they finally saved ALL of their friends, and they were gonna keep it that way.


End file.
